Who said the Nats were washed-up? - posted by Graham

The results in the Gippsland by-election have to give a few people pause for thought. By-elections this close to elections generally punish the candidate associated with the party that causes them, in this case the Nationals. However, they were rewarded... More

Caroline Marohasy rides The Horseman - posted by Graham

My friend Caroline Marohasy makes her movie debut in The Horseman, a new Australian revenge thriller, shot in and around Brisbane, including at the Burpengary caravan park. If you like the look of the trailer (I found it was suitably... More

Why does the MSM do science so badly? - posted by Graham

You'll have to go hunting to find this story, but it is perhaps the most important event so far this year, with the greatest potential to affect our lives. A Nature Physics article outlines how researchers have managed to manipulate... More

Back in the Harness - with Clathrates - posted by Ronda Jambe

Another stint in the good ol' public service. But my mind is elsewhere. On clathrates, to be quite precise. And I sure hope I am not the first one to mention this to you, because you'll be hearing a lot... More

Nats to wipe the floor with Libs - posted by Graham

This looks like being inaugural at the same time as it is the ultimate, as in last. Courtesy of Facebook, Nats v Libs looks like the merger isn't going anywhere. Closer attention to detail reveals that it is actually a... More

Under the Moruya Moon (6) - posted by Ronda Jambe

Two steps forward, one step back. It's the way of the world. So it wasn't surprising to find that the termite damage to the house was worse than we thought. The floor in one bedroom had collapsed before the tenants... More

Liberal National Party could be the end for Springborg - posted by Graham

One of the lesser mysteries of the proposed Liberal National Party is why the Santoro faction changed from being opposed to its most enthusiastic proponents. Afterall, when Mal Brough first mooted his ambition to be Liberal Party President they targetted... More

Putting the Wowser into Rudd - posted by Graham

The NHMRC is about to change its definition of what constitutes "binge drinking" and Kevin Rudd is getting the blame. When I started this piece earlier today that was unfair, because the NHMRC is an independent body that the Prime... More

Grammar's taught to grammarians - posted by Graham

Baden Eunson from Melbourne Uni decries the "fallacy" that children "learn grammar by osmosis", and it needs to be taught. I agree with him to some extent, but after reading Nicholas Ostler's "biography" of Latin Ad Infinitum, I'm not so... More

The Age of Stupid - posted by Ronda Jambe

You will see this phrase again, as it is the name of a hot new movie about environmental catastrophe. This doco formerly named 'Crude' features Pete Postlethwaite playing a journo looking back from some decades in the future, wondering why... More

What would pigeons make of Henson or Leda? - posted by Graham

I've always found the claims for what you might call Human Exceptionalism a little absurd and over-blown. Over the years I've had some quite close relationships with non-human animals, and I don't think I'm practicing anthropomorphism in saying that they've... More

For the Liberals, how many is a majority? - posted by Graham

The Queensland Liberals are busy polling their members on whether or not they want a merged party. The plebiscite is non-binding and is extra-constitutional. There are some potential problems with the plebiscite. The largest is what exactly members are voting... More

Martin Ferguson is right. - posted by Graham

I have a bet with a close friend that oil will be more expensive in around 18 years time than it was 2 years ago (it's a two year old bet). My money's looking pretty safe at the moment. Not... More

A Nice Way to Spend the Morning - posted by Ronda Jambe

Spiral is a group set up 38 years ago in Canberra. A newcomer to town saw that many older people were isolated, and what started out simply as a casual gathering has become a weekly event. Volunteers, some of them... More

Senator's pitch for amalgamation - posted by Graham

We've heard a lot from Senator Brandis about the proposed merger, and little from other senators. Ian MacDonald is one of the moderates in the Queensland Liberal Party, he's also a long-time proponent of merger. This is the text of... More

Mission accomplished? - posted by Graham

Yahoo news picked up the irony. Australian troops have started arriving home from Iraq at the same time that Iraq has its most peaceful month for four years. I never thought that invading Iraq was the best idea, but I... More